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Likelihood Ratio (LR) in Emergency Medicine
Showing posts with label nausea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nausea. Show all posts

11/23/2013

Plain X ray in suspected bowel obstruction. Is that all?



Clinical Scenario

A 67 y/o woman arrives in the ED at 5pm because of diffused abdominal pain since 2 hours. She has nausea and she refers costipation from the day before. 
She has a history of hysterectomy 5 years before because of fibroma.
Vital signs are normal, she presents pale and sufferer for pain, the abdomen is distendend and palpation cause pain all over it. 
Bowel movements are present but abnormal. 
Plain x ray shows 2 little fluid levels without the evidence of dilated loops of bowel, so radiologist describe it as negative.

Has plain x ray changed your previous clinical judgment about the suspect of bowel obstruction?


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4/10/2013

Imaging strategies of suspected acute colonic diverticulitis: how does it work?

Clinical scenario

A 66 yo man complains of left lower quadrant (LLQ) pain, anoressia and fever, it is the first time. The pain is acute, there is not vomit, temperature is 38°C. Abdomen is treatable, with severe pain and tenderness localized at LLQ , there is not history of prior abdominal surgery. Probably this patient suffers of an acute colonic diverticulitis (ACD).



Is Computer Thomography (CT) the imaging procedure of choice for this patient? 


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